The Unexpected Guest
by Kimmy Malfoy
Summary: Minerva recieves a visitor at St.Mungo's will become MMSS soon! ! UPDATED!
1. Something Nice

Title: The Unexpected Guest

Author: Kimmy Malfoy

Summary: Minerva gets a visit from someone unexpected in St. Mungo's. Will continue to include her return to Hogwarts and such…

Paring: MMSS, maybe others

Disclaimer: So I don't own them, wish I did, but I don't! They are JK Rowling's property!

Author's Note: People seemed to like my first SSMM so I figured I'd try another… tell me what you think, just don't flame me that hurts! Enjoy this- if you like it I just may continue it…actually I'll continue even if you don't like it… J

Rating: PG

She grimaced as she turned over in her bed. The bandages restricted her movements as she attempted to sit up for her visitors. It had been a while since she'd seen anyone from Hogwarts, and she was glad to see the smiling faces of her colleagues. The face of Remus Lupin lingered over her on the left, and next to him stood Molly and Arthur Weasley, Fred and George was there too. As they exchanged kind words her eyes did not focus on her visitors, but rather on a lone figure that stood in the corner. He was enveloped in a cloud of black robes and shadows. She knew who it was, and she had been expecting him.

As the others said their goodbyes, one by one he moved closer toward her bedside. Remus knew he was there, and despite it all he still felt a pang a jealousy when he saw them together. The anger that always sparked an impassioned fight between them, the bitter rivalry, and the deep friendship was enough to drive him mad. Those two people were such enemies, and yet, such friends. Remus glowered as he walked closer to her, and followed close behind Molly Weasly with a disgruntled look on his face. He'd always hated him and always would.

"Minerva" he whispered, looking down at her, placing a flower beside her hand. She did not move, but glanced at the flower and proceeded to glare at him.

"If you think to pity me… or soften me up…"

"Never"

"I do not want your pity or your niceties…"

"I am not here to give them"

"Very well, be seated" Her voice was terse as she looked at the man in black before her. She smiled as he gave her a rather disdainful look.

"I also did not venture out here to be ordered around…"

"You ventured out on your own stupidity…"

"Ah Minerva, I see you are quickly recovering." He smiled an all to rare grin as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"How are the students?"

"Fine, nosy, but fine…"

"Potter?"

"Granger and Weasley…"

"They inquire about your health everyday…"

"How considerate…"

"Disgusting, but considerate yes."

"Severus!" she chastised him as he made another snide remark. She looked at him quizzically and proceeded to ask him why he came, she had never expected him.

"Umbridge has finally flipped her lid… she ordered yet another decree yesterday, and that is when I decided it was time to pay a visit to a dear friend…"

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated Severus…"

"It is not sarcasm; you are a dear friend…"

Her eyes widened at his confession. She always thought that he hated her, after all they always argued about the littlest things. It seemed to her that he was nothing more than a mean a foreboding man with the heart of a Slytherin through and through. But there was something beyond the mask, she could see it now. He was a kind man. _Well that might be a bit of a stretch, _her mind told her. But there was an element of compassion, intangible and faint, but there. The shrill call of the resident nurse interrupted her thoughts.

"Well Minerva, I best be off before that woman chews me to pieces for visiting past hours…" She was tempted to ask him to stay, but knew she could not.

"Goodnight Severus…" he reached down and picked up the flower that rested at the base of her bed. He gently placed it in her hand and whispered:

"This flower was expressly stolen from Professor Sprout; it's enchanted never to die, so you can always have…" The nurse called again.

"Out! Now Professor Snape!" And with that he retreated quickly.

"Goodnight Minerva"

"Goodnight Severus".

As he retreated out of the room she was lulled to sleep by the sounds of his shoes tapping against the cold floor.

Continue???


	2. Something Wicked

Author's Note: Aw gee… I feel so loved! I've never gotten such an overwhelming response to a story in such a short time… Thanks! Please continue to R&R- but if SSMM scares you- as I think it did one of my readers, than please do me a favor… don't tell me! You'll squash my love of the very non canon ship!!! Okay here goes! Hope this doesn't disappoint!

The castle was cold and damp as she ascended the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower. An eerie silence filled the castle as she could hear the clacking of her shoes against the stone floors. With each step she grew more suspicious… Why was everything so desolate? Why were no students about? The silence only grew louder as she opened the door to the common room. As the door creaked open, she leaned in the room wanting to hear something, anything, but there was not a sound. She moved cautiously through the dormitory, wand at the ready. Each tap of her shoe was like a bullet, so loud, so conspicuous, so deadly if anyone was indeed lurking in the shadows.

From behind the door to the girl's dormitory she heard a noise. _Umbridge!_ Her mind cried out, but as she sung open the door, there was only an empty hall, deserted with beds unmade, and papers strewn all over. She stooped to gather a piece of paper when she heard a soft cry from the closest… it was the faintest sound, but it did not escape her. As she cautiously opened the door, she found a rather bruised and battered Hermione Granger huddled in the corner, rocking back and forth muttering incoherently. "Miss Granger? Hermione?" she asked the abused child in a concerned manner, asked for anything, even a slight nod of recognition, but none came. As she leaned closer to the child she saw that her hands were covered in cuts, and across her badly bruised cheek was a deep gash. Her hair was missing in places, and her skin was a deathly shade of pale. "Hermione?" she tried again to reach the girl, but she came up with nothing.

The cries were horrific and tore at Minerva's very soul. The whimpering was worse than any cry of pain. She could do nothing, the child was in so much pain and there was nothing she could do. She leaned down near the protégé witch, just to comfort her, but she was only given a terrible, shrill scream. Each time she tried to comfort the girl, all Hermione did was wail in agony. _What happened here?_ She kept trying to figure out what had occurred not only to Hermione, but to the other children… and then as another wail escaped from Hermione's lips, she remembered. _Frank and Alice_. _The Cruciatus   Curse_. _Bellatrix__ Lestrange had hit them with the curse so many times they were driven mad from the pain! That could not be! Not her Gryffindors! _The anger boiled inside Minerva as she looked at the child that was once Hermione, now huddled in a corner sobbing from the pain.

The door to the common room swung open behind her and she pointed her wand at the nightmare that walked in… A low voice called out at her. "Your time has come McGonagall." The voice was calm and placid, but fierce and biting as it annunciated her name. "It is time that you join Lord Voldemort, or you _will_ die." She knew that voice all to well, and as she looked at the figure that approached her, her eyes widened in fear. He wouldn't! Not after all these years of loyalty to Dumbledore. But in the darkened room she could see the Dark Mark burning through his robe. _It had all been a lie! _Now she knew where his true loyalties lay. And as he pointed his wand at her and shouted the killing curse, she awoke with a start and screamed his name out.

"Severus!" The nurse came running toward her. She was given potions to calm herself down, but nothing worked, and no spell would allow her to sleep peacefully tonight. She had to get back to Hogwarts. She looked over at her bedside table and as she saw the rose, she wondered if all this time everything had been a lie, and she began to doubt him. The flower fell to ground as she lay back in her bed, tears falling down her cheeks for Frank and Alice, for Cedric, for James and Lily, for all the fallen.


	3. Something Evil

Author's Note: Wow, I never expected anyone to like this story… its getting a bit dark though, just so you know. I like happy and all, but this time during Harry's life is not, so I don't want to write a story like it is…

The freezing wind stung his cheeks as he walked to the meeting place. So much for spring, sure as hell felt like winter to him. It had been a while since he'd been there, and he, for once, actually feared for his life. Sure it was a worthless thing, he was not wanted, but he still wanted to see Voldemort dead. No one wanted him around; he was just the little dog Dumbledore and the rest of the Order sent out in the cold to do his business, not caring if he ever returned. The wind blew even harder and he could feel his lips turning blue. Damn it was cold this night, of all the nights. He loathed the cold. He loathed night. He loathed everything right about now, including Dumbledore and himself for ever getting into this mess in the first place.

The circle was formed by the time he had arrived, but there was an empty space left just for him. How convenient. A bit of rain began to fall from the sky as he assumed his position between Bellatrix Lestrange and Malfoy, his two favorite people. He could feel her eyes follow him as he positioned himself between the two Death Eaters. The mark on his arm seared with pain as the others all raised their arms in the air, as if summoning the Dark Lord himself. Damn was he rusty at this! Malfoy shot him a deathly glance and whispered "Forget something Snape?" He wished that he could use the killing curse right then and there on the little bastard, but he knew that was out of the question. Not to mention, he'd be dead himself before he even finished reciting the curse.

As the ritual proceeded and he glimpsed the Dark Lord, he felt a twinge of fear for all the others at Hogwarts, what if they were attacked? Could he get back in time to warn everyone? What about the students? He was astonished that he cared for someone other than himself that was truly a big step. His mind reeled at the thought of him becoming softer. Stupid. He chastised himself. That was not happening any time soon. As they stood about, reciting some ridiculous incantation, he stopped as he heard a very familiar name. They were reciting names of those who were next to die! In the middle of the circle a witch was thrown in. She looked familiar, but Severus could not place her… she was a Ravenclaw during his year, he knew that…and it began.

The horrible curses, the madness that slowly descended upon her, the inevitable death that she faced, it was an awful cycle, but each meeting one of _them_ had to die. A muggleborn, a mudblood, the "enemies of the heir", they would be the first to go. As the witch lay dying and Voldemort feeding on her life force, a list of names was read, of those who were next. Granger, Hagrid, the Weasleys, they were all on the list, as was one person that he feared for the most. The vengeful way Malfoy had recited her name made Snape's blood run cold. "McGonagall, Minerva". She was too injured to fight for herself; she would die as soon as she returned to Hogwarts. He knew he had to warn her, but as the circle disbanded he received a few very suspicious looks from his "fellow" Death Eaters, and he knew that from now on he would have to tread carefully.

"Don't worry Minerva," he whispered to the sky… "I'll protect you."


End file.
